Journalist Louis-Philippe Messier was interested in the very surprising story of a 4 and a half in Plateau-Mont-Royal which attracted many aspiring tenants last weekend.
It was last Sunday that dozens of people had to wait outside in the hope of being able to get their hands on a 4 and a half advertised at $1,650 per month.
We can actually see in a video that was published on social networks a very impressive line of people waiting on the sidewalk.
Just a few years ago, this 4 and a half might have cost half the price, but in 2024, even though it is not heated or lit, this apartment is now a bargain at a price of $1,650 per month.
Mélanie Baril, from the Petite-Patrie Housing Committee, explained to journalist Louis-Philippe Messier: “When dozens of people rush to visit an apartment, it means that they find it relatively interesting in a context where speculation has already skyrocketed. the costs. […] The same accommodation advertised at $500 more per month would surely have attracted fewer people.”
The March report from the rental platform Liv.rent indicates that the average price of the 3 and a half was around $1,700, while that of the 4 and a half was around $2,200 and that of the 5 and a half was at $2,750 .
The man who filmed the video showing the spectacular queue told the TVA Nouvelles journalist: “It was still a good apartment for the price. […] I’m from Quebec and my daughter is going to McGill, so I was looking at apartments with her last weekend… and I saw a lot worse than that for a lot more money! […] There was something near McGill for over $2000 a month where the rooms were too small to fit beds. The students slept on the floor.”
According to Ms. Baril, we should expect to see many other lines like this over the coming weeks: “It’s spectacular, a line of people on a sidewalk… but it’s the tip of the iceberg . The biggest problem is the large number of tenants who are now so afraid of alienating their landlord or losing their homes that they forget their rights. […] I recently had a visit from a man who is afraid to ask his landlord to pay an exterminator for a bedbug infestation. People tolerate anything to avoid ending up on the street.”
Finally, remember that last January, the average price of rent in Quebec exceeded the $1,000 mark for the first time, according to what the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation observed.
